What you need to know about the new national ID system

There are currently 33 different valid IDs issued by various government agencies. Can you believe it? Thirty-three. But soon there may just be one ID to rule them all.

Senate Bill No. 1738, or “An Act Establishing the Philippine Identification System” was approved by the Senate on its third and final reading with a 17-2 vote. The bill aims to create the Philippine Identification System or PhilSys, covering all citizens and foreign residents in the country.

In a report by Inquirer.net, the national ID will contain the following:

PhilSys number

Full name

Date of birth

Address

Fingerprint information

The system will be collecting and storing the following information:

Full name

Sex

Date of birth

Place of birth

Address

Nationality/status (Filipino or resident alien)

Meanwhile, the mobile number and email address are optional.

Now that both Senate and the House of Representatives have approved the bill, it will then be up for President Rodrigo Duterte’s signature for it to become a law.